Facial Expression during Katas

We might not do a full powered, lung filled kiai, but when we hit or get hit, we tend to grunt and exhale, and even make a face. I just don't force anything more than I would make with my loudest kiai.

Surely it's whatever works for you best, and scares the [censored] out of the other people that want to fight you.

fight with intent and train with intent.

There is a huge difference between having "intence focus" and making a conscious effort at making a "tense" expression. I believe that everyone here can agree to that much, considering what has been said by everyone so far.

Intensity will manifest itself in one's expression on a subconscious level, to a certain degree, regardless of a conscious effort to "cover it up" or keep a poker face in the heat of battle.

I believe the main point of the thread was weather or not one should purposely put on airs while demonstrating their forms?

Grif, I'm just curious...
What's your competition record in BB adult kata division?

Which organization(s) sanction the tournaments in which you compete?

The reason I ask is that during my competitive years, I competed in both kumite & kata w/ much success. My instructor (1986-2002) was/is the Chair of the Kata Committee of the USA-NKF. My sempai was USA-NKF National champ 8 yrs in a row, Pan-Am Silver medalist twice, 5th in the World (WKF) & Gold medalist in the Pan-American Games (USOC).

I can say w/ all confidence that I've had some expert coaching & not once was I or my sempai encouraged to show anger "as if it was a fight". Intensity, yes. Focus, definitely. Calm, always. Fury....naaaah.

In a real fight, your safety & even your life are @ risk & your expression will be evidence of that. But even so, attempting to maintain a poker face is essential. In practical terms, the amount of rage you express can be used in testimony against you should you end up in court - "his face was red w/ rage & he had murder in his eyes".

Look @ the countless number of police videos floating around on the web. What's your impression of the officer who, despite being insulted & attacked, maintains a calm professional expression? Now compare that w/ a cop who's face is twisted in rage. Even if the result is the same (perp apprehended & possibly slightly injured), who would you say "lost it"?

Like I said before, judges who grade kata based on facial expression are idiots - they don't know kata. And if your instructor tells you the same, he's an idiot also.

Kata is NOT a fight. If it's a personal exercise, who are you trying to impress? If it's a performance, don't over-act.

owari

I think the word 'performance' was badly chosen. A kata is a dictionary of moves. These moves should be practiced in a manner of intensity and shown as though a step-by-step process in a fight. Although i agree with 'Uchinanchu', there is a line that must be drawn as to what IS over aggressive and what is a 'fighting face'.

see the connection of tight face and 'loose power' hedkikr? The young'ins here don't get it.

I was taught that the eyes should focus on the intent and the body should follow the techinque, in that if you are breaking an arm or raking the eyes you should be focus somwhere near that area. You body and hands and feet, are in direction of the technique your face expression unless breathing should be without emotion. But your eyes should show intent and direct your interception of the opponents approach, you should acknowledge his attack, but only with your eyes and body should you show any difference in moment to moment, action.

What I found in a REAL fight is that this training helps controls your adrenailin, you are focus instead of afraid, you are ready instead of nervous. The assailant doesn't know or expect the aggression because it goes from cold to hot and cold again. Your eyes I'm saying and your intention. Really I don't kia unless I know he's going down or trying to break something, or unless he seems nervous & the kia can open him up.

As for kata imitating a fight it doesn't but it does teach techiniques and principles that can help channels your energy and focus in a fight ib.

That kind of showmanship and facail expression is just copying what they see in movies, hell you got somersaults and upside kicks now days in the made up katas. So I don't see anything wrong with those facail expressions and screams announcing watch my tumbling act, in those forms. I usually judge accordanlly but they would score low versus a good trad kata if I was judging Grand Championship. Practicaility being the governing balance.

My 2 cent.

You are correct, sir.

BTW, when you compete in kata division, it is a performance. That's not implying that the kata isn't sincere.

And there's a difference between a "poker face" (fighting face, if you will) & boredom/indifference.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Uj7GYImEf5g

Now compare XMA's Forms champ...

http://youtube.com/watch?v=7A5UtGVWJn0

I rest my case.

owari

Hedkikr,

Understand I’m old and working hard at becoming decrepit, but looking at these video clips I have some problems. Sure all of them can take me down with their technique execution, BUT…

Mike Chat XMA Form – Lots of poses, gymnastics and not one punch that I’d be afraid to be hit with. His punches are hardly pushes. The judges are totally bankrupt in understanding what a martial arts potential could become.

WKF Mens Ind Kata Final - clean poses in technique execution are shown as more important than taking the technique to higher level of execution.

Takashi Katada demonstrates adequate palm strikes, but more intensity should be developed. He his handicapped by not showing a higher level of kata difficulty in his selection, imo.

Luca Vaidesi (2006 World champion) his striking is more a total body pose than using punches and strikes for effect.

Everone I’m sure has an opinion, but it seems XMA or ‘Traditional’ competition is more hitting the competition standard than taking their technique to the level I’d look for in good kata.

Of course I can’t do what they can do. I admire their effort, but I would never teach anyone to follow in their footsteps either.

Food for thought,

I was illustrating the facial expressions of traditional (calm) vs. XMA (theatrics).

Theatrics is over the top. Island in the storm calm can be good, and unnerving to an attacker, but I feel that letting it roll naturally helps a lot.

And Ed, I do remember NIC at night. Clearly. I was exhausted afterward. And yes, I do remember tracer rounds and star clusters.

"Mike Chat XMA Form – Lots of poses, gymnastics and not one punch that I’d be afraid to be hit with. His punches are hardly pushes. The judges are totally bankrupt in understanding what a martial arts potential could become"

I agree. Something that was once told to me in my younger training days, was that when performing a kata, a person who is watching should be afraid to be in front of your techniques. This can be achieved WITHOUT wrenching your face. Quite frankly, If I was sparring with someone making faces like this, it would be really hard not to conceal my laughter. I am all about the calm, focused, poker face. Zanshin should be expressed in your kata, and it cant be done when you are screaming.

[quote ...Performing a Kata with a "calm face" tell me that you are not executing that sequence with full power and have not fully connected to what you are doing...

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On the contrary, a contorted face tells me some of your energy and probably a great deal of your focus is going to your face - the part of the body I prefer to be attacked with.

Consider this: you get in a fight with 2 guys. The first blasts you without showing emotion, the second one is snarling and drooling. They may each have hit you with everything they had, but you're more convinced the first guy may have something worse to hand out, so you're more likely to find a peaceful end to that confrontation. You continue to fight the second guy, because you figure you've already taken his best shot.

I probably unconciously downgrade the scores of those who over dramatize their katas.